INTRODUCTION

At a Glance

This book is an extended review of How to Win Friends and Influence People, a pioneering best seller from the late 1930s. Its author, Dale Carnegie, outlines methods for improving social interaction, especially in the business world, by changing one’s behavior in specific ways. He advises projecting a friendly and positive approach, and engaging the imagination and powers of concentration to see the other person’s side. He also suggests ways to influence people’s behavior and opinions such that they are happy to do what one wants them to do. The book draws from Carnegie’s study of the lives of influential people and from twenty years of teaching adult education courses on this topic.

This review begins with a brief introduction to How to Win Friends and Influence People. Next comes a section that includes information about the book and the author, a summary of readers’ responses to the book—the good and the not so good, from professional reviewers and other interested readers—and a synopsis of How to Win Friends and Influence People. That section is followed by a detailed discussion of the book’s key concepts. Finally, the main points of this review are briefly restated, in a way that may well inspire you to get your own copy of Dale Carnegie’s book to see for yourself why How to Win Friends and Influence People is such a favorite with readers. Also included is a list of key terms used in the book and recommendations for further reading.